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Pityriasis rubra pilaris is a rare, chronic disorder with an estimated incidence ranging from 1 in 5,000 to 1 in 50,000 dermatology patients. The age distribution is bimodal with peak incidences in the first and fifth decades of life. The disease occurs in all races and affects the sexes equally.1
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Although an underlying dysfunction in vitamin A metabolism has been suggested, the etiology and pathogenesis of pityriasis rubra pilaris are still poorly understood. Thus, the role of vitamin A deficiency remains uncertain as attempts to produce keratotic lesions by vitamin A deprivation have been unsuccessful. Moreover, the deficiency of retinol-binding protein as an underlying pathogenic mechanism resulting in inadequate transport of vitamin A to the skin has yet to be ascertained. There are some cases in which pityriasis rubra pilaris may result from immune system dysregulation and abnormal response to various antigenic triggers.2 A report of an exanthematous form of juvenile pityriasis rubra pilaris that followed an upper respiratory infection and initially resembled Kawasaki disease supports the hypothesis of a superantigen-mediated process. Finally, genetic factors with an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance have been supposed to play a critical role for the induction of pityriasis rubra pilaris. Nevertheless, affected relatives are not observed in the classical acute-onset disease and are infrequent in other variants.
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Pityriasis rubra pilaris is generally believed to comprise more than a single entity and a classification scheme based on clinical characteristics and course has been proposed by Griffiths1 (Table 24-1).
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